The *Real* Anthony Galli

I went to my first club volleyball practice the summer of my fourth grade year. Initially, I absolutely hated it. I really wanted to quit, but with some convincing and bribing from my parents, I ended up attending another practice. When I first started playing, I considered volleyball as nothing more than a sport. As I got older and it became competitive, I began to see volleyball was much more than that. It was an avenue to build relationships and friendships that have lasted me to this day. It was a chance to travel and see places I would have never seen. It was a way to interact and learn from diverse groups of people. It was a time for me to develop my character. And the best part of all, I got to do all of this while playing the sport that had become my passion. Club volleyball, being a travel sport, took me all over the country. I visited Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, saw the mountains of Colorado, and got stuck in a snowstorm in Indiana, all between volleyball matches. During middle school and high school, I had the chance to attend both the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships and the Amaeture Athletic Union Championships multiple times. Through these events, I had the opportunity to play with and meet teams from places like Hawaii, Alaska, China, Japan, and Australia. It was so enlightening to meet people from all over the country and the world, to hear their stories, and relate with them over a love for volleyball. Today, I still occasionally play recreationally, but sadly I had to shelve the knee pads due to injuries. Still, I am so grateful for my time playing volleyball and all of the experiences that came along with it!